Storage and utility box



Dec. 29, 1953 T. scHMlnT STORAGE AND UTILITY BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 23, 1952 Dec. 29, 1953 T. scHMlD'r STORAGE AND UTILITY BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001'.. 23, 1952 Patented Dec. 29,` 1953 ingslatge stampi-rigs, etc. L'Ihe'seriousness of 4the problem `has r increased `@with f1 the increasing ''el'ciency -of r`moderneitroduetionnfiaelnnery,fsince the greater the fp'otentialproductioneof mach ine,

the igreat'erlits requirements-for adequate-.means apo-intandfrepresentsaconsiderablefmontary:loss "iflnotfemedied AItis,therefore, thetpr-imaryiobjectof the .pres- Elentv invention tto provide12a;. novel"fparts rleceptacle `or -vicentainer, [characterized lby a unique strucfxtur'e l such that it may be :handled fbyrlaieonvenftional forktine `.lift truck,i:yet -Y'Wh'en so `.handled liniaylbepickedup, moved? and fshift'edlfremi place `--to place v lmuch more vrfeasily, "quickly iand iconx'venie'ntly -thanspossible :with luther 0types vofi-1receptacle's.

lItris: afurt'her ob'j eetv lof the" invention '-toipro- 'Videla boxer-'container-of-'theimprovediconst'ru VLtion intentioned@abc'ive, 4v'wherein the bxesfaref s'o designed' that theyt' together 'FWhen stacked von 'feach-fotki'er;` and finterlck'withffeaclt other in such fai manner that 'the'ylma'y bev stacked several boxes f-highireven :when-"fully: -loaded,i 'ye't ywivillfrest intra 'stable condition without "tendency =--toward ftip- Lilo'in'gcr imbalance. 'ThusJa?fn'iulti-plicity1y of such vbtxesn'iay Ibef employed fo'rtemporary" partsN stor'- Yllagetluring" manufacture' Withoutfa'dditional Lloadinglorunloadingffoperations. llt follows thatflby y\-tlie;pi-'e'.sent `teaching, parts may' beistoredina kf'liannerlrelquiring "'amnimxim ordito/liege Sspace,

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wet that whey farei .f2 'Instantly eavailableeas lneedsonprodnctionxfequire.

'-It f--i's l'v'a'fnother fobject yof the invention to ,i pro- -vide a stacking, "storage 1 and utility'f box ,as de- :seri'be'dfaboveyincludng means Wherebylthefboxes may be conveniently handled by a crane onchain hoistas well ias :byailift truck-,isoithatf'vtheywill besusceptible to 'easyhandling when loading 4from -wharvesshippingdocks'fetc., or infan'y instance lntvh-ich theuseiotaforkdifttnuclnis inadvisable or inconvenient.

' Theioregoingfsobjects are acozzomplishedv accord- Aingto the presen-t teachingabyethe-:provisionofen multiplicity/of relatively heavy,square steelffboxes 4Which-vin' thepref erred form .off-the' invention, are fabout 48 inches wide,f48l inches long andfinehes deeppkand are formedvv fof :heavy reinforced-sheet steel, having rhandles at their upper corners shaped to interlock Withuthe corners-Aoi another -`box whenfstacked, rand av pair of fork tine ports on 'feach side-of the Hbox so lthat the boxmaly `be quickly "andconveniently lifted Alay/.a .lifttrluck .apiproaching from yany loneA of itszffour1 sides.

Themanner in Awhich the present Ateach-ings `areput into commerciali-practice .will be best exl:plained in connectionwith the 1drawingsf-ofthis specification, wherein:

Figure -1' lis =a perspective view of asstorage and .utility box-constructed-in accordance fwith the vpresent teaching, -the box -being .shown Las restleing on its side :toy illustrate =the cross `baarn/conf- VAstruction ofthe bottom'frame thereof; y

. Figure `I2 is a side -.elevational view of :a 1box-=of the `type illustrated in Fligurel;

`Iiigure is a lplan view, thereof, a lportionzof the bottom `of rthe boxabeinglbroken into section -ito illustrate Athe channelframer .-members thereunder;

UFigure 4 is a 'fragmentary-detail:plan'view-of -one of the uppermost cornersvofthe box, show ing lfthe conguration Lof Ithe ninterlocking hoisting handle;

4Figure/.5 is la detail sectional viewv through the upperrim of the f box, lthe ViewA being taken `sub'- lstantially on-'thefplane of. the v line f-5 -5 .offfFigure however, and are drawn inwardly toward each other from the corners so that they meet along opposite center seams to form the other two sides of the box. For example, in Figure l the sides I and II are each folded at the corners I2 and I3 to form half sides I4 and I5 which may be joined along the seam I6 and, if desired, covered by a welded reinforcing strip I1. Additional reinforcement may be provided by rolled beads I8, which may extend entirely around the box. The sheets I0 and II are also bent around the rearward corners 2| and 22 to form portions 23 and 24 which meet at the seam 25. This seam may also be covered by a reinforcing strip similar to the strip I1. The uppermost edges of the open end of the box are reinforced by four angle irons 26, which have their downwardly extended ilanges 21 welded to the inside of the side walls of the box, and their horizontal flanges 28 projecting outwardly considerably beyond the plane of the box walls (Figure The lowermost edges of each wall of the box are reinforced by angle irons 3l, which have their vertical flanges 32 welded Ato the outside of the side Walls and their horizontal flanges 33 extending inwardly therefrom (Figure 6).

Lifting and stacking handles 34 are provided at each corner of the box, as shown in detail in Figures 4 and 5. Each of these handles comprises an L-shaped rod having its opposite legs 35 positioned at 90 to each other and bent downwardly at their ends 36, which are welded to the horizontal flanges 28 of the top angle irons. A center reinforcing rod 31 is Welded to the rod 34 at 38 and extends down through the horizontal flange 28 of the angle iron to terminate in an inclined portion 39 extending inwardly toward the side wall of the box and welded to the side wall at the corner thereof.

Near the bottom of the Wall sections I4 and I5 of the box, the sheet metal of the walls is cut away to form a pair of fork tine ports 4I and 42, around which marginal reinforcing members 43 and 44 are welded. The ports 4I and 42 are interconnected with identical ports on the opposite side walls 23 and 24 by transverse frame members 45 and 4E. Each of these is of channel shape, having a ilat bottom wall with vertical side walls 41 and 48 extending upwardly from the bottom to a flat, horizontal metal sheet or plate 49 which forms the bottom surface of the box. The side wall I0 is provided with ports 5I and 52 which are identical with the ports 4I and 42, and are similarly reinforced by metal frames 53 and 54. Transverse frame members extend from the ports 5I and 52 to identical ports on the opposite side II. AThis pair of frame members each comprises three sections 55, 55 and 51, interconnecting the frame member 45 at junctions 58, and intersecting the frame member 46 at junctions 59. All of these channels have vertical side walls 6I and 62 which intersect and are welded to the Walls 41 and 48 in the manner seen in Figures 3 and 4. The walls 41 and 48 are cut away between the side Walls of the intersecting channels so that the fork tine of a lift truck can be inserted in any one of the ports and can be extended well under the boxl in a position to adequately support the load therein.

It is to be noted, however, that the channels are entirely closed except for the end ports, and that the operator of the fork lift truck can insert the tines therein under any and all conditions without interference from material contained by the boxes, or irregularities of the surface on which the boxes are resting at the moment. This is of particular advantage in applications wherein the boxes are to be stacked in multiple tiers, since there is no possibility of parts being piled high enough in one box to extend upwardly and obstruct the ports of the box supported on it in a manner to interfere with the free and proper operation of the lift truck in inserting the fork in the channels. i

From the above, it will be seen that by the present teaching the applicant has provided a box of novel physical construction, which has unusual usefulness and great utility in facilitating the handling of materials as in manufacturing operations. The inside of the box is smooth and free of obstructions so that it may be easily cleaned and will afford the maximum cubic capacity possible. It is nevertheless provided with means whereby it may be picked up from any surface by a conventional lift truck, and provided with interlocking handles so designed that they not only serve to hold the boxes in proper alignment when they are stacked in multiple tiers, but also of such design that they may serve as lifts when the boxes are to be handled by a chain hoist or crane. The angled portion 39 of the handle is adequate to resist any tendency to bend the handles during loading or unloading, and thus provides adequate renforcement for the` portions 35 of the handle which serve to interlock each box with the one above it when they are stacked. It follows that by the present teachings it is entirely feasible to utilize a number of boxes stacked one above the other. It is even practicable to lift the boxes when in stacked condition. Thus, a lift truck that has vertical movement limited to the height of two boxes. for example, may lift another pair upwardly and stack them thereon so that a total height of four or more tiers is attained and the maximum storage capacity of any given space is utilized.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A storage and utility box comprising, in combination, a bottom member consisting of a flat plate and four transverse frame members secured thereunder; said frame members being arranged in parallel pairs spaced apart from each other and intersecting at four junctions within the box; each of said frame members comprising a flat bottomed channel with upstanding side walls secured to the under side of the bottom plate; said side walls of the channels being interrupted at the said junctions to provide open ducts through both pairs of frame channels; together with four side walls of the box surrounding saidbottom and perpendicular thereto, said side walls each having an upper reinforcing rim and a lower reinforcing rim extending therearoundy with a pair of fork tine ports in each wall adjacent the lower edge thereof in opposite pairs on the opposite sides of the box and in registry with the opposite ends of each pair of said bottom frame channels.

2. A storage and utility box comprising, in combination, a bottom member including four transverse frame members; said frame members being arranged in parallel pairs spaced apart from each other and intersecting at four junctions within the box; each of said frame members com'- prising a channel with vertical side walls interrupted at the said junctions to provide open ducts through both pairs of frame channels; together with four side walls of the box surrounding said bottom and perpendicular thereto, with a pair of fork tine ports adjacent the lower edge of each wall in opposite pairs on the opposite sides of the box and in registry with the opposite ends of each pair of said bottom frame channels.

3. A storage and utility box comprising, in combination, four substantially vertical walls and a bottom member consisting of a at plate and four transverse frame members secured thereto; said frame members being arranged in parallel pairs spaced apart from each other and crossing the other pair within the box; each of said frame members comprising a channel beam with vertical side Walls to provide open ducts through the box in two directions; with a pair 15 of fork tine ports entering said ducts adjacent the lower edge of each oi said walls.

THUR SCHMIDT.

References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name Date Gale July 13, 1897 Klenk July 3, 1906 Bentley July 26, 1921 Cahners Feb. 20, 1945 Boone Apr. 26, 1949 Darling Aug. 23, 1949 Porter Apr. 11, 1950 Hole Jan. 20, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 9, 1921 

